Samsung Galaxy phones can be laptop webcams with upcoming Link to Windows update

Ben Schoon | Jan 9 2024 - 1:38 pm PT

Through an upcoming update to Link to Windows, Samsung Galaxy smartphones will be able to lend their cameras to laptops and desktops in place of a traditional webcam.

Announced this week at CES 2024, Samsung and Microsoft will debut a new feature on the Galaxy Book 4 series that allows users to use the cameras on their phone as a webcam on their Windows machine.

The feature is powered by Microsoft’s Link to Windows service, which Samsung has offered deep integration with for years. When paired, a Galaxy phone’s camera can be used in all of the same places as a traditional webcam, such as in Microsoft Teams.

Samsung explains:

Thanks to the excellent image quality, you will feel fully present with your work colleagues, and you can switch freely between front and rear cameras with just a click to adapt to any setup. If you want to quickly change your frame to include the others in the room, get up and walk around while speaking or even just show your colleagues the view out the window, easy camera switching lets you stay mobile and flexible without needing to adjust your PC at all. You can also apply a variety of features from your phone to your call – including Background Blur and Auto-framing – that help focus your image in any environment, whether working in a busy coffee shop or communicating from a company boardroom.

Notably, there’s a very low bar for compatibility here. Samsung says the feature will work on Galaxy phones running One UI 1.0 and higher, meaning Android 9 or higher. That could give some added utility to older Samsung phones.

It’s unclear when the feature will roll out further, but it was previously spotted in versions of the Link to Windows app.